


Crush

by vanishingbyler



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Internal Conflict, Internal Monologue, M/M, Pining, Will is crushing hard and kinda hates it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-07
Updated: 2019-07-07
Packaged: 2020-06-23 18:59:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19707475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vanishingbyler/pseuds/vanishingbyler
Summary: Maybe to some, it’s just a can of soda. To Will, however, it’s just another fucking sign that the universe really,reallyhates him.





	Crush

**Author's Note:**

> i wrote this in about half an hour bc i couldn’t sleep and i was inspired by erin (@theodecks on twitter) spotting a scene where will is drinking a can of crush and staring at mike
> 
> production design is wonderful and will byers is gay

This entire summer has really felt like one big ‘fuck you’ to Will Byers. The monsters are back, his brother has no time for him and, perhaps worst of all, everyone seems to have decided it's the summer of love. Hell, even  _ Dustin  _ has a girlfriend, even if they're all pretty sure she's fictional.

At this point, supernatural evils are the least of his worries. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt (and the therapy). The worst bit is how the real world all seems to be moving on without him. He can't remember the last day in Mike's basement that was  _ fun _ , and not just some tired debate about how complicated girls are. Will doesn't think he'll ever understand - girls are girls, guys are guys, and if nobody can figure out how to navigate the labyrinthine world of dating then why bother? They're all better as friends anyway.

There's no point questioning it though. 

At the end of the day, none of the boys want to give up that excitingly adult label of being a boyfriend. They can complain til the cows come home, but they love it too much to let it go.

It's bullshit.

"Shit." 

Mike's voice comes without warning, and Will would be embarrassed to admit it makes him jump.

"What's up?"

"Not enough Coke. I guess my mom didn't bother restocking."

Will and Lucas are comfortable enough on the couch, and while neither of them asked for a drink they're not complaining.

"I'll take whatever." Will pipes up helpfully. "I'm not fussy."

This has been part of their friendship for years now. Will doesn't come from a big house with a basement that houses its own icebox. Any cold beverage that doesn't come from a 7-Eleven is a treat, and Will could never be so comfortable as to curse at not having his exact choice. He's pretty sure he's heard Nancy and Jonathan fight over this - Nancy, much like Mike, is wonderful but sheltered. Neither one of them has ever known desperation, nor had to settle. They both live in such a bubble of middle class comfort that it's just in their nature to expect their every desire to be met.

"You sure?"

"It's not really a priority, is it?"

Mike mumbles as he shrugs, tucking a can under his arm and taking the two Cokes in each hand. He hands one to Lucas, keeps the other to himself, and -

Well, shit. There it is. Just another facet of the great cosmic joke that is Will Byers' life. 

Crush.

Of course, of every drink in the world that could be handed to him by  _ Mike Wheeler,  _ of all people, it had to be Crush. It feels like God himself is laughing in the face of this stupid little boy that has the indecency to like another boy the way he should be liking girls. 

"You okay, Will?"

It's embarrassing, really. That after everything that's happened these last few days, after Mike managed to pinpoint and target Will's biggest insecurity, after he's blown him off for months and thrown almost a decade of friendship back in his face, that hint of concern in his dumb brown eyes is enough to remind Will why he ended up with this big fat  _ crush  _ in the first place.

"I'm fine."

It's that same sentence he's been throwing around for years, the one he's known that Mike never believes for almost as long as he's been saying it. It's probably the least convincing answer he could've given, but something about that can - that stupid, stupid,  _ stupid  _ can that won't stop fucking taunting him - has pushed him past the point of giving a shit.

And really, why should he care right now? They've called the girls, failed to reach Dustin, and any minute now the basement will be flooded with people and Mike will have forgotten that Will even said anything. It's kind of a common theme these days. The girls show up, and Will ceases to matter.

He pretends not to notice the look his friends share.

He takes a nonchalant sip of his drink, side-eyeing Mike has he does. It seems almost like he's about to say something. In fact, his mouth is already opening to speak. 

And then the door goes. The girls walk down the stairs, demanding answers. Mike leaps from his seat to explain everything. And the clutch the universe seems to have around Will's heart squeezes just that little bit tighter.

He takes another swig of his drink, more bitter tasting than it had been just moments ago. Mike doesn't even notice how his best friend's face twists. The pain in Will's chest gets worse. 

_ Crush,  _ he thinks.  _ What a fitting word.  _

  
  



End file.
